Vehicle-wheel



N. RATCHFORD.

VEHICLE WHEEL. 4

Patented Feb. 15, 1921.

APPLICATION FILED AUG23| i919.

UNITED STpiiES:

NICHOLAS RATCHFRB, OF FORT RECOVERY, HIO.

VEHCLE-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 15, 1921.

Application filed August 28, 1919. Serial No. 328,369.

fo all Lv/rom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, l'licnonas lia'ronronn, a citizen oit' the United States residing` at Fort Recovery, in the county ol rercer and State ot hio,` have invented certain neiv and useful improvements in Tfehicle- Wheels, olf which the ollcnvingl is a specili cation.

This invention relates to an improved vehicle Wheel, and has particular' reference to a Wheel wherein is embodied a plurality of resilient spolte members, which in operation serve to render a Wheel as a whole extremely resilient and to relieve the vehicle with which it is associated of the necessity of absorbing sucli shocks and jars as are incident to the passage of said vehicle. over rough and uneven surfaces.

Another object of the invention resides in a Wheel of the above character, wherein is provided an improved hub structure 'for effecting the securing ofthe inner ends ot the resilient spokes, said hub structure being of such construction as to firmly receive and secure the inner ends of said spokes and to prevent such ends from rattlingor becoming;` accidentally loosened from their respective seats Within the hub structure, thelatter also including a side flange wherein is formed a slot, whereby upon the rotation of said slot into registration with any one of said spokes, the spoke registering With said slotniay be removed without disturbing` the positions ot the remaining spokes.

A turther object ofthe invention resides in the provision ot animproved rim struc ture with which the outer ends ofv said resilient spolesare connected, and wherein said riinis formed to provi de an annular channel having continuous danges in ivliich the curved outer ends ot, said spokes are seated and braced a gainst lateral stresses, and whereiiusaid rim is formed with openings by means of which extraneous matter' may be removed from between the spokes and the rini proper.

lilith these and other objects in view, as will appear as thedescription proceeds,` the invention accordingly vconsists in `the novel features ot construction, combination oifele ments and arrangement oitzparts, hereinafter to be t'ully described and havingl the scope thereo'tI po'nted out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure l is a side elevation of a vehicle wheel constructed in accordance with the principles ot the invention.

Fig. 2 is a. vertical sectional view taken through the hub structure along the line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 8 is a fragileentaryV vertical sectional view taken through the hub structure and disclosing more particularly the method ot securing` the inner ends of the resilient spokes therein, and

1lis a detail view oi they rim and the means whereby the outer ends oi said spokes are secured thereto.

Referring more particularly to the drawings', the Wheel le disclosed therein, and comprising` the preferred form of the present invention, is particularly designed 'for use in conjunction with motor vehicles, and the general principle underlyingthe construction is to provide a Wheel of this character which will tend to considerably diminish jolts imparted toa vehicle by the travel of the latter over a rough road bed and at the saine time to so construct the Wheel that the wear upon the tires einij loyed thereon willV be reduced to a very great extent and thus, through the use of the wheel, the lite and wear of the tires Will be appreciably enlarged. Pneumatic tires, such as are indicated by the numeral l, are preferably used upon the Wheel but other forms of tires, such as the solid torni, may be used if desired.

rlo accomplish these and other ends, the wheel A is formedto embody a hub structure Band a rim structure C, between which are located and securedthe resilient metallic spolres 2 of the Wheel. In order to firmly secure the inner ends ot the spokes 2 with the hub structure B, and to prevent accidental displacement or rattle on part ot said spokes, said hub structure is formed to embody'an axle sleeve 8, which is adapt- `ed. to rotatablyV surround a vehicle axle d.

rl" he end oi the axle may be provided with the usual retainingnuts 5, which are situated to bear against the outer end ot the sleeveY and reta-in the latter and the Wheel as a Whole in its rotatable position' upon said" axle; The sleeve `3 may be reduced centrally as shown at 6 to contorni with a similar reduction in diameter of the axle d, the' reduced portion 6 serving to limit sleeve 3. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, this the inward thrust of said wheel .upon the. axle. A cap T may be threaded upon the outer end of the sleeve 3 and serves to incase the nuts 5 in the-usual manner, to Wheels of this character.

The inner end of the sleeve 3 is threaded as indicated by the numeral 3, and these threads are adapted to receive concentrically arranffed socket member 9 which is disposed to circuinferentially surround the socket member is formed to embody a circular and vertical wall 10 which is located on a plane perpendicular to the axis of the axle 4t and is formed With spaced and integral Webs 11, the latter being formed to laterally project from the Wall l() and are of substantially triangular formation. By spacing the Webs 11 with respect to each other, Va plurality of sockets 12 are formed between the same. rlhese socketsY are of outwardly tapered formation and are arranged to laterally receive the enlarged ends 13 of the spokes 2,V and said spokes, are further retained in the sockets 12 by the provision of an annular Wall 111 upon the sleeve 3, said latter Wall extending parallelV With the Wall V10. Also, the sides of the Webs` 11 contiguous to the sockets 12 are transversely solid for a limited distance, as is indicated by the numeral 15 and situated Within the slots or bolts are equivalentv fastening devices 16. It Will be observed that the bolts 16 pass through openinos formed centrally in the ends 13 of the spokes and that the slots 15 extend'from the outer face of the Webs 11. ln this manner, when the wall'lt is removed,`said spokes may be laterally Withdrawn or passed into their sockets. bviously, When the Wall 14 is properly positioned the removal of said spokes from the sockets Will be effectively prevented in a lateral direction and also, owing to the transverse bolts 16 radially directed pressures will be unable to witlr draw said spokes from their stated positions Within the` sockets l2. Vladial displacement of the spokes is further prevented lby the tapering Jformation ofthe ends 13 and the corresponding formation of the sockets 1.2. I1`he plates or flanges 10 and 14 are clamped together through the agency of transverse bolts 17, which are arranged -to pass through alined openings formed in said plates or flanges and are equipped with nuts 18, whereby upon the tightening of the latter said plates will be drawn together and locked for uniform rotation.

In order to remove the spokes from the hub structure, the bolts 17 are removed from their applied positions upon the hub structure and the flange or plate 14` is rotated in any suitable manner so that a slot 19 formed therein will coincide with the spoke or spokes to be removed. This slot tioned any spoke inthe vheel structure may be conveniently removed Without affecting the balance of the Wheel, the provision of the slot 19` renders the spokes easily acces-V sible and prevents the wheel from being entirely disassembled in order to, repair spoke fractures or the like. Y Y

The spokes are preferably formed Vfrom finely tempered spring steel, and terminates in curved and transversely reduced extremities 21 which areadapted to lie Within a channel shaped rim 22 Yforming a part of the rim structure. rlhe extremities 21 are so formed that an extended portion of the saine will flatly engage with the interior ol the rim 22 so that said spokes may exercise radially directed pressure upon the rim structure and also to enable the spokes to be considerably flexed Without being fractured. It Will be observed that the rim is provided With continuous side flanges 23, between Which the extremities 21 project, and through the provision of these flanges lateral stresses imparted to thevvheel at points along the rim structure Will be to a great vrim 22, and through the provision of these slots all extraneous matter which may collect under the spokes. may be readily removed and to alarge extent this removal of extraneous material will be automatically accomplished by the jolting of the Wheel over a road bed.V Also, one or more of the extremities 21 of'said spokes may be equipped With an opening through Which the inflation valve stem 26 of the tire 24 mayV project. The extremities 21l terminates in eyes 27, through which transverse bolts 28 are adapted to pass, said latter bolts also pass through registering openings formed in the side flangesV 23, in this mannerthe spokes may be rigidly yet flexibly secured to the rim struc- `vill effectively serve to diminish the cost of 130 tire Lip-keep and which will serve at the same time to enhance the comfort of the occupants of the vehicle With which the Wheels are associated. Through the provision of the resilient spoke structure the Weight upon the tires 24 is appreciably reduced when compared with the Wear said tires will receive upon a Wheel embodying a rigid spoke structure and many practical tests have disclosed the 'fact that the mileage oi? a pneumatic tire may be increased appreciably through the use ot the wheel. Structurally, the Wheel embodies the hub structure capable of securely clamping the inner ends oi' the resilient spokes and also permits of removal of said spokes in a simple and convenient manner when such removal is desired. Again, the rim structure serves to receive the radial thrusts of the spring spokes and is so related With the other ends of said spokes that lateral stresses may be readily absorbed Without injury to the Wheel.

What I claim is:

In a resilient vehicle Wheel, a spoke receiving member rotatably mounted in connection with an axle, said member being provided With a plurality of laterally opening sockets having slotted side Walls, spokes having their inner ends seated Within said sockets, fastening means cooperative With said spokes and the slots of said side Walls to receive said spokes to said member yet to admit oif lateral removal of the spokes from said sockets, and a socket closing member arranged to inclose said sockets, said latter member having a slot formed therein Whereby upon the registration of said latter slot with any one of said sockets the spoke seated therein may be removed from said hub structure Without interfering With the remaining spokes.

In testimony whereof I alix my signature.

NICHOLAS RATCHFORI). 

